KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has pleaded not guilty to a charge alleging that he failed to properly declare a substantial portfolio of cash and precious-metal assets to the country’s anti-corruption authorities.
The 66-year-old appeared before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Thursday, where prosecutors accused him of intentionally submitting a written statement that did not comply with a notice issued by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) requiring him to declare specified assets. The charge was brought under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009.
The assets identified in the charge include RM14.77 million in Malaysian currency, alongside substantial amounts held in nine foreign currencies. The list also includes five Suisse Fine Gold bars. The foreign-currency holdings cited by the court include Singapore dollars, US dollars, Swiss francs, euros, Japanese yen, British pounds, New Zealand dollars, UAE dirhams and Australian dollars.
The alleged failure relates to a notice dated January 7, 2025, which was served on Ismail Sabri three days later. Prosecutors allege that he subsequently provided a written declaration that did not satisfy the terms of that notice. The alleged offence is said to have occurred at MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on February 7, 2025.
Ismail Sabri’s defence is challenging the basis of the prosecution. His lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, said the defence would examine what he described as concerns over the propriety and legality of the charge.
The lawyer later described the charge as unusual, pointing to earlier proceedings concerning the same assets. He said prosecutors had previously sought forfeiture of property connected to the investigation, raising questions for the defence about why a criminal prosecution over the same subject matter had subsequently been pursued.
The former prime minister did not enter into a detailed public response after leaving court, telling reporters that his lawyer had already explained the defence position.
The court granted Ismail Sabri bail of RM300,000, with one family member acting as surety. Prosecutors had sought a higher bail amount and requested that he surrender his passport, citing his status and international connections. The court rejected the passport condition after finding no evidence that he presented a flight risk.
The case has been fixed for mention on September 29.
If convicted under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act, Ismail Sabri could face a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of up to RM100,000.
The prosecution follows a wider anti-corruption investigation involving the former prime minister. MACC had previously seized about RM170 million in cash in various currencies and 16kg of gold bars, according to Malaysian reports covering the investigation. The agency’s investigation also involved former members of Ismail Sabri’s administration.
However, the charge before the court is specifically concerned with the alleged failure to comply with an asset-declaration notice. The existence of seized assets or an investigation does not, by itself, establish that the property was obtained illegally, and Ismail Sabri has pleaded not guilty.
The proceedings add Ismail Sabri’s name to an increasingly unusual chapter in Malaysian politics. He is the third former prime minister in recent years to face criminal proceedings connected to alleged corruption-related conduct.
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a reduced prison sentence following his conviction in a case connected to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Another former premier, Muhyiddin Yassin, is facing his own corruption and money-laundering proceedings.
Ismail Sabri’s political career at the top of government was comparatively brief. He became prime minister in August 2021 and left office in November 2022, serving for about 15 months during a period of considerable political instability in Malaysia.
His appearance in court now shifts the focus from his short period as prime minister to questions about financial disclosure and his dealings with the anti-corruption authorities after leaving office.
The latest proceedings are therefore centred on a relatively specific legal issue: whether the former prime minister knowingly failed to provide the information required under the MACC notice.
The defence has already signalled that it intends to scrutinise how the charge was brought and whether the prosecution’s approach is legally proper. That argument will now be tested as the case progresses through the Malaysian courts.
For Ismail Sabri, Thursday’s hearing marks the formal beginning of a criminal case that could carry a prison sentence if the prosecution succeeds. For Malaysian authorities, it represents another high-profile test of the country’s anti-corruption enforcement, involving a former occupant of the nation’s highest elected political office.
The next significant stage will come when the case returns to court on September 29, with the former prime minister remaining on bail while the legal challenge moves forward.
Malaysia’s Ex-PM Ismail Sabri Faces Court Over Alleged Failure to Declare Millions in Assets
